Valparaiso University Sports Update, April 10, 2017

By: Valparaiso University Last Updated: April 10, 2017

VU-131-Valpo-Student-Athletes-Recognized-at-Annual-Honors-Banquet131 Valpo Student-Athletes Recognized at Annual Honors Banquet
Valparaiso University awarded 131 student-athletes with Presidential Academic Honors while also handing out the Laurel Award at the 26th Annual Student-Athletes Academic Honors Banquet held on Sunday evening.

Presidential Academic Honors are awarded to student-athletes who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher after at least two semesters at Valpo.

Nick Seitz (Xenia, Ohio/Carroll), a member of the men’s golf team, was presented with the annual Laurel Award, honoring the graduating senior student-athlete who achieved the highest cumulative grade point average. Seitz is on pace to graduate in May with a perfect 4.0 GPA as a biology and chemistry double major.

Seitz was joined by 11 individuals who earned the Finishing at the Top honor this year, given to student-athletes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 or higher, including a trio of his fellow seniors –Vanesa Abad (Barrington, Ill./Lake Zurich), a nursing major from the women’s soccer team; Adam Bruno (Bloomington, Ill./University), a history and secondary education major from the men’s cross country and track and field squads; and Brian Lang (Chicago, Ill./Marist), an accounting major from the football team.

Sunday’s program featured remarks from President Mark A. Heckler and 1978 Valparaiso University alum Paul Thune, who was a member of the track and field squad during his time as a Crusader. In addition, senior student-athletes Kenny Floyd and Rachel Bruinsma shared remarks as well.

Women’s Tennis Falls to Wright State
The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team suffered a 7-0 setback on Saturday at the hands of the Wright State Raiders in Miamisburg, Ohio. The most competitive match of the day came at No. 3 singles, as Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis. / Sun Prairie) took Wright State’s Haily Morgan to three sets.

How It Happened

  • Sysouvanh prevailed 7-5 in the first set, then suffered a 6-0 setback in the second. That led to a marathon third set, where Morgan picked up a narrow 14-12 victory.
  • Another close set was the first at No. 5 singles, as Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) fell to Taylor Culbertson 7-5 in Set 1 before dropping the second 6-2.
  • Valpo’s No. 2 doubles team of Wind and Meg Modesto (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterotn) was locked in a 4-4 tie at No. 2, but that match went unfinished as the Crusaders fell at the other two doubles spots.
  • The Crusaders drop to 1-14 overall and 0-5 in Horizon League play, while Wright State boosts its record to 12-11, 3-3 in league activity.
  • Valpo played without the services of Jordan Kopfer (Eagan, Minn. / Eastview), who was sidelined due to illness.

Next Up
The Crusaders have Friday circled on their calendar, as they take on the Green Bay Phoenix at 2 p.m. at the Valpo Tennis Complex. Valpo beat the Phoenix 5-2 last year. Both teams enter the match seeking their first Horizon League victory of the season.

Valpo Concludes Road Slate with Win
The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team competed in its final regular season road match of the season on Sunday morning in Miamisburg, Ohio against Wright State. The Crusaders dispatched the Raiders 6-1, setting themselves up for the chance to secure at least a share of the Horizon League regular season title with a win on Friday against Green Bay.

How It Happened

  • The Crusaders (19-3, 5-0 Horizon) took the doubles point in lopsided fashion as Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis. / Fond du Lac) and Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio / Poland) were the first to finish, blanking the opposition at No. 2 6-0. They were soon followed by the reunited No. 1 doubles pair of Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) and Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg), who bested Wright State’s top team 6-2.
  • With the doubles point already locked up, the match between Valpo’s Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) and Brian Pecya (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) and Wright State’s Carlos Sanchez and Marcel Ueltzhoeffer went unfinished. Ancona and Pecya led 4-3.
  • Schorsch was the first singles player to complete his match, downing Jacob Perkins 6-3, 6-0.
  • Freshman Franklin Brozovich (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron Northern) played No. 6 singles and delivered the most lopsided set scores of the day, defeating Sanchez 6-0, 6-1.
  • The clinching point of the match was nailed down by Gardner, who won 6-1, 6-1 over Javier Alvarez at No. 4.
  • Dunn dispatched Jonas Brezing 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3, while Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) achieved a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win over Ueltzhoeffer at No. 5.
  • The only Wright State (5-16, 1-4 Horizon) win occurred at No. 2 singles, as Fernando Nardelli edged Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill. / Niles North) 7-6 (4), 4-6, 11-9.

Inside the Match

  • The Crusaders are 13-0 against Horizon League opponents (including league tournament matches) over the last two seasons.
  • Schorsch and Emhardt, ranked No. 18 in the most recent Oracle/ITA Division I national rankings, were back together as Emhardt returned from an injury. They are now 18-6 as a tandem and 8-2 in dual play this season.
  • Dunn and Schorsch are both 5-0 in Horizon League singles play and they share the team lead in wins with 23 apiece.
  • Freshmen Brozovich and Langston were both victorious in their first career Horizon League singles matches.
  • With two regular-season matches plus the Horizon League Tournament and potential postseason play all remaining, the Crusaders are two wins away from matching the program record of 21 wins established a year ago.
  • Schorsch picked up his 107th career singles win and 109th career doubles victory, while Emhardt extended his program record with his 111th career doubles win.

Next Up
The Crusaders are set for their most compelling match of the season on Friday at 10 a.m. at the Valpo Tennis Complex. The Green Bay Phoenix will come to town for a battle of teams that have yet to lose in Horizon League play. The Phoenix are 3-0 and still have four league matches remaining, while Valpo is 5-0 with just two matches left. The Crusaders can secure at least a share of their second straight Horizon League regular season title with a win on Friday. The match is also a battle of each of the last two Horizon League Tournament champions.

Crusaders Fall to Norse in Series Finale
Trey Ganns hit three home runs, Northern Kentucky scored multiple runs in six of the nine innings and the Valparaiso University baseball team couldn’t slow down a powerful Norse lineup in an 18-7 loss on a windy Sunday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field. The Crusaders (12-17, 3-6 Horizon) still took two of three in the series after Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of the Norse (11-9, 6-3 Horizon).

How It Happened

  • The Norse struck right away as Ganns delivered a two-run blow to left center in the top of the first against Valpo starter Grant Inman (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll).
  • The Valpo offense had an answer in the bottom of the frame, as Jake Hanson lashed a run-scoring single, then Christian Barczi (Naperville, Ill. / Naperville North) belted a two-run big fly that sailed over the left-field fence, a go-ahead blow against Northern Kentucky starter Pat Kelley that put Valpo up 3-2 after an eventful first inning.
  • Ganns put the Norse right back on top by lifting a grand slam to center in the top of the third. In only the third inning, he already had two home runs and six runs batted in.
  • The third Northern Kentucky home run of the day came in the fourth as T.J. Alas drilled one to right center, a two-run blow that made it 8-3 and spelled the end of the day for Inman.
  • The Norse broke it wide open with a five-run fifth that included a three-run homer by Jake Richmond that expanded the lead to 13-3.
  • The Crusaders continued Sunday’s slugfest in the sixth as Sam Shaikin (West Hills, Calif. / Chatsworth) cracked a three-run big fly that took a bite out of the deficit and made it 13-6.
  • Ganns slugged his third home run of the day in the eighth, a two-run knock to make it 15-6.
  • Alas secured a multi-homer game of his own with a three-run blow in the ninth that made it 18-6. The Crusaders got a run in the bottom of the inning on an infield pop fly by pinch hitter Giovanni Garbella (San Diego, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic) that the wind wreaked havoc on, causing it to drop for a run-scoring infield single.

Inside the Game

  • Inman took the loss and fell to 3-3 after allowing eight earned runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
  • Kelley was the winning pitcher, upping his record to 3-1 after yielding six earned runs on nine hits in six frames while recording five strikeouts and issuing no walks.
  • Barczi’s home run was the first of his career, while Shaikin’s blow was his second of the season and the second of his career.
  • Northern Kentucky’s Travis Rowland worked a scoreless seventh. The two teams combined for nine pitchers, and he was the only one who did not allow at least one earned run.
  • James Stea (Los Alamitos, Calif. / Los Alamitos [Golden West]), Barczi, Hanson and Shaikin had two hits apiece for the Crusaders. Stea joined Nate Palace (11) as the only Crusaders with 10 or more multi-hit games this season.
  • Hanson extended his hitting streak to 12, while Hanson (16) and Shaikin (13) both kept on-base streaks intact.
  • Shaikin’s three RBIs established a new career hit.
  • Barczi and Hanson both went 6-for-13 (.462) with five runs scored apiece in the series. Barczi drove in five, while Hanson knocked in three.

Next Up
The Crusaders will head to Ball State on Tuesday to take on the Cardinals in a game that begins at 2 p.m. CT. Links to live coverage will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.

Crusaders Fend Off Northern Kentucky Rallies, Sweep Doubleheader from Norse
It wasn’t easy by any means, but the Valparaiso University baseball team pulled off a doubleheader sweep of Northern Kentucky at Emory G. Bauer Field on Saturday. Both games saw the Crusaders build sizeable leads, then hold on for dear life in exhilarating victories. Valpo picked up an 8-7 win in Game 1, before winning the nightcap 10-9.

How It Happened – Game 1

  • The Crusaders (11-16, 3-5 Horizon) showed early on that Saturday would be the day they busted out of their recent offensive slump. They set the tone on a pleasant day that featured the wind blowing out by posting a five spot in the opening frame.
  • Chad Jacob (Irvine, Calif. / Woodbridge) started the scoring with a single up the middle to plate James Stea (Los Alamitos, Calif. / Los Alamitos [Golden West]), then Jake Hanson (Yorkville, Ill. / Aurora Christian) ripped a double to right center to double the lead. Christian Barzi (Naperville, Ill. / Naperville North) and Riley Dent (Long Beach, Calif. / Wilson) got in on the act with run-scoring singles, before Dent scored the fifth run of the inning as Stea reached on an error.
  • Stea lifted a fly ball to deep center in the third inning, and the Norse center fielder camped underneath but could not make the catch. Stea again reached via an error, and this time Scott Kapers (Schererville, Ind. / Mount Carmel) scored from second to extend Valpo’s lead to half a dozen.
  • Dominic Mercurio blasted a solo homer to left center to lead off the fourth, the first damage against Valpo starter Mario Losi (Anaheim, Calif. / Canyon). That put the Norse (10-18, 5-3 Horizon) on the board and cut Valpo’s lead back to five.
  • The Crusaders had a response in the bottom of the inning, as Nate Palace (West Lake Village, Calif. / Oaks Christian) led off with a double before coming in to score on a single to center by Barczi that made it 7-1 Crusaders.
  • For the second straight inning, Northern Kentucky led off with a solo blast in the top of the fifth. This one came from Jake Richmond to make it 7-2.
  • Losi left after six strong innings (7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO), as Valpo turned the ball over to the bullpen needing nine outs and holding a five-run cushion.
  • The Norse picked up a run on a Trey Ganns RBI single against Montana Quigley (Lake Forest, Calif. / El Toro) in the seventh. Valpo responded in the bottom of the frame, as Palace banged a double to center, plating Jacob to make it 8-3.
  • The Norse notched another single tally in the eighth against Quigley on a RBI single up the middle by Richmond.
  • Chet Joslyn (Battle Creek, Mich. / Lakeview) walked back-to-back hitters to begin the top of the ninth, prompting Brian Schmack to bring in Jon Tieman (Crystal Lake, Ill. / Prairie Ridge) with two on and nobody out with Valpo leading 8-4.
  • Two singles later, Northern Kentucky had sliced the advantage in half, as Mecurio’s single to left center plated a pair and made it 8-6 with still nobody out and runners at first and third for Northern Kentucky.
  • Tieman caught Kyle Colletta looking for the first out of the inning, then Mike Moffatt ripped a run-scoring single to make it 8-7. Pinch hitter Ty Amann attempted a safety squeeze bunt, but Palace fielded the ball and threw it to Kapers to retire Mercurio at the plate and keep Valpo in the lead.
  • Richmond fanned for the final out of the game, allowing the Crusader to eke out the victory.

Inside Game 1

  • Losi’s Game 1 win was his first of the season, with his last W coming on April 22, 2016 at UIC. His last five decisions dating back to last year were all defeats before he broke through by earning the win on Saturday. He upped his season record to 1-3.
  • Northern Kentucky starter JeanFrancois Dionne was charged with seven runs (five earned) in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up 10 hits and walked a pair while taking the defeat to drop to 2-2.
  • Tieman earned his seventh save, extending his Horizon League lead. He has already matched Ryan Fritze’s team-leading total of seven from 2016 and surpassed Bryce Yoder’s team-high of six from 2015.
  • Barczi enjoyed his second three-hit game of the season, while fellow freshman Dent posted his first career three-hit performance. Barczi also drove in a pair, his first career multi-RBI game.
  • Palace went 2-for-5 to secure his team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the year.

How It Happened – Game 2

  • The Crusaders got on the board first again in the nightcap as Hanson doubled to drive in Jacob in the bottom of the first.
  • That lead grew in the second as Valpo plated a pair. Kapers ripped a single to drive in the first run of the frame, then scored the other on a sac fly by Jacob.
  • Northern Kentucky continued its theme of solo homers as T.J. Alas drilled one against Valpo starter Wes Gordon (Waukegan, Ill. / Warren [Lake County]) in the top of the third.
  • Valpo got two more runs in the bottom of the third by virtue of an RBI double by Barczi and an RBI single by Kapers.
  • The fourth inning saw the Crusaders expand the lead to eight at 9-1 as they scored four times. Hanson clubbed his second run-scoring double of the game, Sam Shaikin (West Hills, Calif. / Chatsworth) got in on the act with an RBI double and Dent lifted a sac fly.
  • Gordon went out to begin the sixth inning holding a 9-1 lead. He allowed a single followed by back-to-back walks and exited the game with the bases juiced and nobody out. Alex Dirienzo (Somerset, Pa. / Somerset [Akron]) came in and gave up a two-run double to Colletta, with both runs charged to Gordon.
  • The next batter hit a sac fly, with that run also charged to Gordon. A walk to Brad Bohlen followed, leading to Dirienzo’s departure.
  • Ellis Foreman (Round Rock, Texas / Stony Point) gave up a two-run double to the first man he faced, but then induced a ground ball back to the mound that finally ended the inning, but not before Northern Kentucky scored five times to make it 9-6.
  • The Crusaders got what proved to be an important run in the bottom of the sixth as Kapers reached on an E-6 and Shaikin scored an unearned tally.
  • The Norse powered their way right back into the game in the top of the eighth, as Luke VanLanen (Pulaski, Wis. / Pulaski) gave up two dingers – a two-run blow to Roberts and a solo blast to Alas, making it 10-9 Valpo.
  • Freshman Easton Rhodehouse (Gilbert, Ariz. / Highland) came in and sent down all four men he faced, including a pair of strikeouts, to nail down a four-out save.

Inside Game 2

  • This was Valpo’s sixth straight one-run game. The Crusaders dropped the first three during that stretch, and have now rapped off three consecutive one-run wins.
  • Jacob extended his on-base streak to 16, while Hanson has reached safely in 15 straight and Shaikin has reached in 12 in a row.
  • Hanson boosted his hitting streak to 11, while Palace’s 14-game hitting streak came to an end.
  • Rhodehouse’s save was the first of his career. He became the third Crusader to earn a save this season and the first other than Tieman to pick up a conventional save (Quigley’s was by virtue of three quality innings of relief in a lopsided win over Chicago State).
  • Valpo was 0-9 when opponents score six runs or more before Saturday’s game. They won both games while allowing six runs or more.
  • Gordon got the win in his Emory G. Bauer debut, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings while issuing four walks. Gordon had walked just six total in his first seven starts of the year.
  • Ganns was handed the loss to drop to 2-5 after yielding five runs (five earned) on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.
  • Jacob, Hanson and Kapers racked up three-hits apiece. It was Hanson’s first three-hit game of the year.
  • Five total Crusaders had multi-hit games, with Stea and Shaikin turning in two each.

Next Up
The Crusaders and Norse will round out the three-game set on Sunday afternoon with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m. Grant Inman is scheduled to pitch for Valpo, while Northern Kentucky sends Pat Kelley to the mound. The game can be heard on 95.1 FM Valparaiso, WVUR with David Horak providing play-by-play and Ethan Leach adding color commentary. Links to live audio and stats are available on ValpoAthletics.com.

Wind Wins at No. 6 as Crusaders Fall to Norse
Sophomore Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) provided the Valparaiso University women’s tennis team with its first singles victory against a Horizon League opponent this season in Saturday’s 6-1 loss to Northern Kentucky.

How It Happened

  • Wind notched the lone team point for Valpo (1-13, 0-4 Horizon) at No. 6 singles, downing Sierra Nellessen in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
  • Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis. / Sun Prairie) competed in a tight match at No. 5 singles, but fell to Danielle Donahue 7-5, 6-3.
  • Meg Modesto (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) incurred a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Sydney Power at No. 3 singles, while Jordan Kopfer (Eagan, Minn. / Eastview) had a close Set 2 but fell 6-2, 6-4 to Katja Dijanezevic at No. 4.
  • The first singles match to finish was at No. 1, where Kathleen Hebble (Sellersburg, Ind. / Silver Creek) fell to Margita Sunjic 6-1, 6-1, followed by No. 2 singles, where Paige Heuer (Munster, Ind. / Munster) lost to Klara Skopac 6-2, 6-0.
  • The Norse took the doubles point as Sunjic and Skopac topped Hebble and Heuer 6-4 at No. 1, then Danielle Donohue and Yasmine Xantos secured a 6-2 win over Sysouvanh and Morgan Paras (Indianapolis, Ind. / Bishop Chatard) at No. 3 to clinch it. No. 2 doubles went unfinished with Modesto and Wind even with Power and Nellessen 4-4.

Inside the Match

  • Wind’s victory was her team-leading eighth of the season. She became the first Crusader to garner a Horizon League singles triumph since Modesto beat Detroit Mercy’s Valeryia Kulikovskay 6-0, 6-0 on April 17 of last season.
  • This is the second consecutive season Wind has secured a victory against Northern Kentucky. A year ago, she prevailed in a three-set affair at No. 4 singles.
  • Wind has eclipsed her season win total from 2015-16, her freshman campaign, by two victories. She has 14 career singles wins as only a sophomore.

Next Up
The Crusaders round out the road trip on Sunday at noon CT as they visit Wright State.

Men’s Tennis Stays Unblemished in Horizon League Action
The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team returned to form after having its 17-match winning streak halted last weekend, starting a new streak with a 6-1 victory over Northern Kentucky on Saturday at the Yeager Tennis Complex in Highland Heights. The Crusaders upped their record to 18-3 (4-0 Horizon), while the Norse plummeted to 5-6 (1-4 Horizon) with the defeat.

How It Happened

  • The Crusaders grabbed the doubles point in convincing fashion. Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill. / Niles North) and Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) corralled a 6-2 win over Lukas Clemens and Mate Virag at No.1. Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis.) and Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) also won 6-2, getting the better of Blaine Carter and Court Clark at No. 2.
  • The No. 3 doubles match went unfinished as Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio / Poland) and Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) were engaged in a 4-4 deadlock with Javier Araya and Andrew Niehaus at the time play was halted.
  • The first singles match to come to a close was No. 3, as Bacalla downed Clark 6-3, 6-3.
  • Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) was also a straight-set winner, as he topped Adrian Isache 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5.
  • After suffering his first setback of the spring last week, Schorsch regained his stride with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Virag at No. 1. That win locked up the win for the Crusaders.
  • Brian Pecya (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) was inserted into the lineup at No. 6 singles and outdid Blaine Carr 6-3, 6-4.
  • Dunn was victorious at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 6-2 over Isache.
  • Northern Kentucky’s lone team point of the day occurred at No. 2 singles, as Araya nipped Kissell 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).

Inside the Match

  • The Crusaders prevailed despite playing without Charlie Emhardt, who was sidelined by a leg injury.
  • The Crusaders are 12-0 against Horizon League opponents (including league tournament matches) over the last two seasons.
  • With three regular-season matches plus the Horizon League Tournament and potential postseason play all remaining, the Crusaders are three wins away from matching the program record of 21 wins established a year ago.
  • Schorsch and Dunn remain tied for the team lead in wins with 22 apiece. Schorsch is the team leader in dual match wins as he sits at 15-1 this spring.
  • Araya’s win at No. 2 singles made him the first Horizon League player to win a singles or doubles match against the Crusaders this season. The last Horizon League player to win a singles match against the Crusaders before Saturday was Bassem El Mekawi of Youngstown State on April 23, 2016. Valpo is 8-0 in Horizon League doubles matches this year, and now sits at 23-1 in league singles matches.
  • Schorsch picked up his 108th career doubles win, pulling to within two of Emhardt for the program record. Bacalla’s doubles win was his 74th, which ranks third in program history.
  • Schorsch also grabbed his program-record 106th career singles win.

Next Up
The Crusaders will round out the road trip on Sunday as they visit Wright State for a match that begins at 9 a.m. CT.

Five Top Finishes Lead Valpo at DePauw Invitational
The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s track and field teams stayed in Indiana as they traveled to Greencastle for the DePauw Invitational on Saturday. The men’s team garnered four first-place marks, three coming in field events, while the women tallied one, which also came in a field event. The Crusader men finished in third with 96 points and the women ended the invitational in sixth with 46 points.

How It Happened

  • Junior Alexander Watson (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) cleared the bar at 15-3 to earn first for Valpo. This height is two inches higher than his previous career watermark and is team’s all-time second-best height.
  • Sophomore Malik Riley (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) launched himself 21-6 in the long jump to receive first, adding almost a foot to his previous season top time.
  • Sophomore thrower Keith Nagel (Las Vegas, Nev./Faith Lutheran) tossed the javelin 160-1 for a first-place mark, three feet farther than his previous best this year. Sophomore Drew McKissick Jr. (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) came in second with a distance of 159-6.
  • For the runners, freshman Bryce Otterbach (Mendota, Ill./Mendota Township) crossed the line ahead of the pack and earned first (57.03) in the 400m hurdles.
  • In the 5,000m run, freshman Victor Fortin (East Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) finished in second, with a time of 15:59.57, one second faster than the team’s best time from last season.
  • The sprinting duo of junior James Sampson (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and freshman Ben Sekuloski (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) finished fifth and sixth respectively in the 200m dash. Sampson (22.93) crossed the finish three-hundredths of a second sooner than his teammate, who finished at 22.96.
  • Senior sprinter Anthony Franze (Gunter, Texas/Gunter) led the Brown and Gold in the 100m dash, crossing in 11.45, good for a seventh-place finish.
  • Sophomore Quinten Holley (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) paced the Crusaders in the 110m hurdles and junior Jonny Heagy (Mt. Lebanon/Pittsburgh, Pa.) tallied the top height for Valpo in the high jump.
  • Capturing the team’s only first-place result at the Invitational, freshman Anne Mou (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park) nabbed a distance of 16-9.75 in the long jump. Sophomore Chidimma Ozodi (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee) finished in second after her teammate, with a distance of 16-8.5.
  • The Crusaders other top-two result occurred in the 400m dash. Freshman sprinter Kayla Horne (Chicago, Ill./Luther North College Prep) earned second (1:00.06), removing a second off her previous season best.
  • Senior Grace Nelson (Oregon, Ill./Oregon) led the squad in the 3,000m Steeplechase, receiving sixth (13:35.60). Teammate sophomore Katherine Germann (Cincinnati, Ohio/Finneytown) completed the race right after, finishing in seventh (13:53.67).
  • Freshmen Celia McGhiey (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) led the team in the 5,000m race, Jordan Houlihan (Hickory Hills, Ill./Amos Alonzo Stagg) in the 200m dash and Shannon Lahey (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) in the triple jump.

Next Up
Valpo travels to Lisle, Ill. for Day 1 of the Benedictine University Relays on Friday, April 14. The meet will begin at 10 a.m. CT at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex.